Drug smugglers attempting to transport narcotics through the Indio Station were thwarted by border patrol agents, as reported by U.S. Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino. The announcement was made via X, previously known as Twitter.
Chief Patrol Agent Bovino stated, "Smugglers got "Scrooged" El Centro Sector agents, from the Indio Station, intercepted 291.9 lbs. of liquid meth that was concealed in a vehicle’s gas tank. That’s over $437,000 worth of dangerous narcotics that the premier sector prevented from getting into our communities."
This development follows a recent incident in November when El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents seized 218 pounds of liquid methamphetamine, according to a news release from Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). This operation resulted in the arrest of a 21-year-old man who was attempting to smuggle drugs estimated at $328,000 concealed within an SUV's gas tank.
As per the media release, during the initial inspection, a K-9 team trained to detect hidden individuals and narcotics indicated the presence of drugs in the vehicle. Agents then directed the man to a secondary inspection area where they discovered an unidentified crystallized liquid inside the gas tank. The driver, along with the drugs and vehicle, were subsequently handed over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.
According to data available on the CBP website, customs officials and agents nationwide have confiscated substantial amounts of various narcotics during fiscal year 2023: 27,000 pounds of fentanyl; 140,000 pounds of methamphetamine; 81,100 pounds of cocaine; and 150,000 pounds of marijuana.
In response to an increase in methamphetamine use in 2022, Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy announced a strategy under President Biden's administration. Dr. Gupta said: "The tragic rise in methamphetamine-involved overdose deaths requires immediate action. This bold, new action plan builds on the President’s National Drug Control Strategy by expanding access to evidence-based prevention, treatment, and harm reduction strategies, as well as reducing the supply of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs by going after drug trafficking organizations. This comprehensive and forward-looking action plan will help make our communities healthier and safer."
